Automatic nonrigid hayfork



A.'B. LANTZI AUTOMATIC NONRIGID HAYFORK. APPLICATION FILED APR. 28, 1920.

1,434,710. Patented Nov. 7, 1922.

A. B. LANTZ.

AUTOMATIC NONRIGID HAYFORK.

APPLICATION FILED APR 28,- I920.

1,434,71 O. Patented Nov. 7, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEEI 2 Patented Nov. 7, i922.

iaatnt AUTOMATIC I NONRIGID HAYFQRK.

Application filed April 28, 1920. Serial No. 377,405.

I To all wiwm it may concern:

Be it known that I, AMos B. Learn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Valparaiso, in the county of Porter and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Nonrigid Hayforks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic non-rigid hay forks and it more especially appertains to the features pointed out in the annexed claims.

The purpose of my invention is to provide a non-rigid four-tined fork which will lay quite flat on the hay without becoming tangled, before being placed in lifting position; which admits of unlimited variation in the specific placing ofeach tine without reference to the position of the 'others so that very small clumps of hay can be gath ered from a hay rack which would be quite impossible with forks of the rigid type; that also provides means automatically resetting the various members after a load has been dumped; and which in addition provides various adjustments to adapt the fork to different practical conditions; and to also make provision for the positive resetting of the members by means of the same cord which previously did the tripping or releasing of the load.

With these and other ends in view I illustrate in the accompanying drawings such instances of adaptation .as will disclose the broad underlying principles without limiting myself to the specific details shown.

Fig. 1, Sheet 1, is a side elevation of the various parts in position as suspended when the load of hay has been released. and also showing in dotted lines the approximate change of position of the parts just before the load is released.

Fig. 2, Sheet 2, is a transverse elevation partly in section through the center of the device. the trip cord pulleys of Fig. 4 being included instead of those shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the supporting bars, detached at A and B and assembled at C.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view in outline showing the relation ofthe parts when supporting a partial load.

Fig. 5 is a reduced size perspective view similar to Fig. 4: showing the parts just as the load is tripped. 1

Fig. 6, Sheet'l, is an elevation of the two resetting and tripping catches.

Fig. 7, Sheet 1, is a detail diagrammatic representation of the two equalizing suspension links.

Two pairs of curved forks 1 and 2, the right hand ones, and 8 and 4 being the left hand ones, as shown on the drawings, are provided with curved tines 14. These forks are supported at two places, from the holes 5 at their extreme upper end by means of chains 11 and also about midway of their lengths on pins 6 by dumping chains 8.

The load is carried principally by means of chains ll-one for each fork. These have snaps 12 located so as to admit of any desired adjustments being made at this point. The chains are attached in pairs, at one end, to pins 13 of the supporting bars 15 and,.16, and at the other or lower ends in holes 5 of theforks 1, 2, 3 and 4t. Chains 8 are also grouped in pairs. They have snaps 9 which admit of an adjustment of the length of the chains and in addition a further adjustment of same length chains can be made by placing pins 6 in difierent holes 7. A pair of these chains are suspendedfrom pins 10 placed at the extreme outer ends of bars 15 and 16.

The bars 15 and 16 are pivoted to each other at 17 and they in turn are pivoted to equalizing links 18 and 19 respectively at 20 and 21 which links are pivbted to each other at their upper end by pin 22. A. suspension yoke 23 is also securedon pin 22. and any suitable type of supporting ring 24- may be attached to the yoke. The bars 15 and 16 are quite similar, the only marked difference being that bar 15 is formed of a single piece while bar 16 is formed of two duplicate pieces, spaced apart so as to form a slot between them into which bar 15 is placed.

In order that the bars 15 and 16 may be held in a fixed relation to each other on pivot pin. 17 while a load is. being lifted,

catches and 26 are provided the catch 25 is pivoted on pin 27 of the bar 15. It

engages'the free end 30 of bar 16 and it" is held in operativeirelation by a spring 33 that keeps it positioned with its stop 31 restin against the bar 15. This catch is slotte' at 38 in order. to pass around the bar, see Fig. 6, Sheet 1. The companion catch 26 is pivoted on pin 28 of thebar 16.- It is also provided with a'stop 32 and a spring 33 and its catch end engages.

the free end 29 of bar 15.

As shown in Fig. 1 the catches 25 and 26 are connected by a trip rope 34 which passes over pulleys 35 on the equalizing links 18 and 19, thence under pulleys 39 and 40,

fastened respectively to bars 15 and 16 and, thence over pulleys 41 on link 18 and 42 on link 19, thereafter descending to an equalizing pulley 43 to which the pull rope 37 is attached. This relation of parts enables the operator to positively'pull thefree ends 29 of bar 15 and 30 of bar 16 into enga-gement with catches 25 and 26 by an additional pull on the trip rope 34. The reason for this paradoxical function lies in the interaction of the links 18' and 19 and bars-15; and 16 through the action of rope 34. As this rope is pulled the bar 15 and link 18 move on pivot 20 because the distance between pu1leys39 and 41 is being reduced. This lowers the outer end 10 of the bars and raises the inner ends 29 and 30- of the-same bars until the catches are in.'- osition to hook under.

Ordinarily t e weight of the hooks and chains is enough to reset the device. The catches 25 and 26 are provided with inside v stops '44 which prevent the catches moving.

too far when the rope 37is pulled to positively, reset the mechanism for another load.

If it is desired to depend ongravity aloneto reset the bars 15 and 16 then the relation of parts instanced in :Fi'. 4 may be used.

In this the catches 25. an 26 are connected tothe trip rope 34 as in Fig. l but the rope only passes over one pulley 35 on each of the links 18 and 19 and then directly to an equalizing bar 36 towhich the pull rope 37 is This facility through. the adjustable and F yielding connections between the forks and" the supports constitutes an important feature of this invention which is claimed in its broadest scope. i 1

The use o'fthe word fork or forks in this description is synonymous with tine or I tines and identifies a single tine or fork or their plural, entirely etachedfrom any members.

other tine or fork by rigid connections as a groups of tines, and non-rigid'connections between pairs of tines.

2. In hay forks, supporting members pivoted to each other, a plurality of individually separate "tines, and yielding connections between-the tines and the supporting members.

3. In hay forks, supporting members-in side by side relation, a pivot common to both, means for limiting their movement with respect to'each other, means for releasinsaid members to move coordinately with eac other on said pivot, a plurality of'separate fork members adapted to have movement independent of each other, and yielding connections between .the forks and supports.

' 4. In hay forks, a plurality of supporting members pivoted to each other, a plurality of individual curved tines, and flexible and adjustable connections between the tines and supports;

5. In hay forks, a pair of supporting membersxpivote'd to each other, individual tines grouped in pairs by' non-rigid connections,.fiexible means for attaching a pair of tines at their upper end'to the inner end of each member, and other flexible means connecting the body of a pair'of tines to the outer end of each supporting member.

6. In hay forks, a pair of supporting members pivoted to each other, a. air of links i pivoted to each other and to t e respective supporting members to form an artlculate assembly,- and a plurality of separate curved forks yieldingly attached to the said 7.'In hay forks, a pair of independently supporting members, pivoted to each other,: -two pairs of detached forks, separate yielding connections from one end of such forks to the supporting members to sustain a'liftanother point of the forks to said members for producing a dumping action, means for holding the members against movement, and

meansfor releasing said holding means as desired. 8. In hay forks, a pair of sup orting members, a pivot in common to both, equalizin links pivoted separately to the supports an to each other, means for holding the members against movement, means for releasing the former, and means for resetting the ,116, ing load, other yielding connections -fromholding means by gravity assisted by anothermovement of the releasing means. '9. In hay forks, a pair of sup orts pivoted to each other, means for hol ing them against movement with respect to each other, a plurality of separate forks suspended from.

of the respective supports and adapted'to engage the inner ends of each support to 10 hold them against movement, and means common to all the catches for operatingthe same in practical unison.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

AMOS B. LANTZ. 

